The Fourth Week of Advent: The Star

When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.

Matthew 2:10

The Star

The star was present through the night 

A shining ray of guiding light

They saw the shimmer in the sky

Knowing for a reason why.

A promise that so many knew

But countless thought that it not true

How can God come down as man

Live on earth and take a stand?

A booming blessed trumpet blared

For those who listened and prepared

It was no secret if truth be told

But man assigned a lie so bold,

Kill the firstborn, that will save

A world of people from all He gave

Have them look not at the sky

But in the hearts of those who cry.

Dim the star, the breathtaking Light

That guided man this wondrous night.

Every mother, father, daughter, son

Will behold this Glorious One.

As we grieve the world that shatters

For man consumed with earthly matters.

Remember the Gift, the glorious start

Of Christmas day found in your heart! 

Luke 2:11-14 (KJV)

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

Resurrection Sunday ~ My Happy New Year!

1 Peter 2:24 KJV “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”

Resurrection Sunday ~ My New Year Begins

By the blood of Christ, I am healed

The truth of Him to me revealed

I do not walk in doubt and fear

From Him I’m fixed it’s ever clear

My suffering is but a small measure

Of the life I live, one that I treasure

Although a shell, my soul’s at home

My body on earth is free to roam

Slithering in the illness came

The ashen rider with death as a name

Catching me weakened and off guard

Knocking me down, leaving me scarred

I rose from the ashes scattered about

Reached for the Lamb, behind me doubt

Fear melted faces of those around me

Until the Light was all they could see

An orchestra of Angels plays a tune

Wraps me in their heavenly womb

I walk with Light and love by my side

The Lord is my Shepherd, my only guide

As Holy Week ends with a signified seal

My journey goes on, I continue to heal

The sidelines are full, friends and angels cheer

On this day I begin my Happy New Year!

Acts 4:22 “For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.”

Poetry Sunday ~ Memories

4 Ezra 4:45 “Shew me then whether there be more to come than is past, or more past than is to come.”

Memories

When tears leak from my eyes I find

a place of healing that’s no surprise,

I find I’m lost once being found is not easy

To mechanically turn life around.

The glorious light of which I cling to 

Allows me comfort waters to wade through

I’m not the one who lives daily in fear

Let me make it clear why I’m still here

The days are long often filled with pain

I’ll say it again in life I’ll remain

The one who finds God in all that I do

As I waddle through memories I once knew

The past is there for me to step around

Tiptoe through eggshells for all I’ve found

Religion and alcohol a cocktail of frights

I made it through the dark stormy nights

I didn’t have a mother who cooked and baked 

I’m lucky to have had the food that we ate.

A penguin filled schoolhouse was my only friend

That carried my memories to the rivers bend

With a concrete garden and asphalt street

My life in Baltimore was never complete

Crimson skies lined my sunset dreams

Away from home’s not as murky it seems

I’ll go and drown my empty sorrow 

For all I carry to every tomorrow

What’s done is done what’s gone is gone

I’ll live my life and carry on.

I Bow to Him

Ps. 31: 2 Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me.

 I Bow to Him

I bow my knee; I sing praise

To you my God for glorious days.

Is it just me or is it them

I bow my knee to the Great I AM!

I bow my knee; I sing praise

The God of All lightens my ways.

I have seen and I have heard

I bow my knee to His holy Word.

I bow my knee; I sing praise

The Rock in me shines through the haze.

I know He sees; always hears

I bow my knee through the tears.

I bow my knee; I sing praise

It is to Him my hands I raise.

Always near; never far

I bow to Him, my Shining Star.

Poetry Sunday ~ Layers

Jer. 4:25 I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
***
~ Layers ~
Blankets of snow peeled away
uncovering the grass beneath;
wherefore moss and worms cavort
under the last seasons leaf.

Robins bounce back into life
the cardinal’s song is heard.
Blue jays gather twigs and things
our days no longer blurred.

Cranes are flying overhead
heron gather together.
Geese are moving to and fro
to announce this glorious weather.

The sky it quivers full of sound
birds are making their way;
abundance of life hovers over me
as song sings out this day.

The sun stretches out its arms
a baby calf is born.
Spring has sprung back into life
this late February morn.

Woeful Wednesday?

Love is the only sane and satisfactory answer to the problem of human existence. ~Eric Fromm
***

Seems like I have a lot of those days lately doesn’t it? It’s okay when it is only one day out of the week or perhaps a day out of the month. As long as I keep the Lord and my relationship with Him in perspective, life will work out just fine for me.

We haven’t gotten any calls from Omaha to say, “Come on down! You’re the next in line for The Cornea Transplant!” Of course I don’t think they’ll be as enthusiastic about it as the Price is Right guy, but that is what it will sound like to us, who are here waiting for that call. I’m sure people on the outside are wondering, “Did they get the call yet?” and we here on the inside have to go through each day, wondering if the next time the phone rings it is going to be ‘the call’.

I’ve been keeping myself busy, cleaning like a mad woman, since I missed two weeks of work due to my twisted blue smurf foot! And thanks for all of your concern, my internet friends. My foot is healing, I can walk around on it, but please don't ask me to put a sneaker on, it just might hinder all the progress that the foot has gone through the past two weeks.

I did something that I rarely do, and that was REST! I kept my swelled and blue foot up for almost two weeks, only walking on it to maybe wash a load of clothes, or fix dinner, then it was back to the sofa to rest! Me! For those of you who know me, and know me well, Joni does not rest, even if she has impending pneumonia!

Now my grass outside has grown to impossible heights. I like to keep up on it, and yes I have a son who has been mowing, but I’ll have you know, my mower does not like wet grass and it conks out about every minute of mow, so that then the thing is so worn out from inhaling all the wet grass, it won’t restart again!

Woe, Woe, Woe is me! Not! Today is beaus and mine’s ninth year together. In all its color and craziness, highs and lows, ups and downs, to see and not to see, we’re still together. So while I have a lot of woeful sighs, bad days, lowest of lows, I have high highs too! AMEN!!!

Even after the barn caught fire the other day. The owner and his workers were well on their way to reopening this Turkey Ranch I live on. They had the barn all cleaned out and the wood chips were delivered and while spreading them on the floor for the soon to be arriving turkeys, the place caught fire and by the time the fire department arrived, the roof of the place had collapsed and not one wood-chip left over.

The only affect it had on me was the sadness to the workers who were excited to see, after two years of being closed and job losses, the Turkey Ranch was re-opening and giving hope to possibly new workers! We go on! It is what we do!

I’ll continue to rise at the crack of dawn to write and have a great and glorious day today and always. Now I expect you to do the same! :) Godspeed!

Poetry Sunday~ Sounds of the Season

Sounds of the Season
***
The trees they shiver in the cold
as Christmas day draws near.
Crunching of the fallen leaves
that continue to linger here.

Aromas of pine crawl throughout
the embers of fires aglow;
the season is touched with tidings
as we welcome new fallen snow.

Many people gather
in the shelter of a breeze;
Whistling winds shudder the bones
as forms begin to freeze.

Carolers having made their rounds
in the magic of the call.
Lifting spirits as they go
blessing one and all.

Allow the moment to take you away
where joy and love abound.
The blessed world comes alive,
in the harmony of all sound.

The time draws nigh unto us,
to remember the very reason,
we yearly come to celebrate
this glorious Christmas season.

Sunshine Award

That best portion of a man's life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.
~ William Wordsworth ~

***

I woke up this morning in the still of the late night. Four A.M. is quite early to me but I just couldn’t fall back to sleep with thoughts running around in my head. I’ve got a lot on my mind in the way of redefining my future, letting go of my past, living day-to-day in the present.

While it was still dark outside, the birds slept while crickets chirped, I arose to a fellow blogger offering me a Sunshine Award. A sunshine award? Me?

It made me think of my mother whom, back home in Maryland, always sings the sunshine song to me, on one of the many daily calls I make to her. Remember,

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy, when skies are gray, you’ll never know dear, how much I love you, please don’t take, my sunshine away.”

She tells me I am her sunshine and my calls brighten her day. Well isn’t that a wonderful feeling? To know that you, little ol’ you, can brighten someones day? I’m blessed.

My friend and fellow blogger Doreen, says I inspire her. That is a GREAT feeling also since sometimes you never know if these words are sinking into someone’s brain or are they just being released to the universe. Thank you Doreen for letting me know that all of this hard work is not for nothing, it is truly for something!

Now onto paying it forward.

I’ll list 5 things that bring me sunshine, and try to pass it on to 5 wonderful friends. Now, remember I don’t have many friends but each and every person that touches my life is a little ray of sunshine on a gloomy day.

5 things that bring me sunshine:

1) My Lord and Savior (on any given day, rain or shine, he always brings the Light into my life.)

2) My Fiance (who although blind, can still see light. He gives me reason and pourpose, encourages and fulfills. He’s my everything.)

2) My son (for whom without, I’d have very little reason for living.)

3) My writing (the only dream holding me into place so I don’t completely fall apart)

4) Nature (my garden is a simple pleasure that brings warmth and sunshine into my world in a sunburst kind of way, and a fragrant way.)

5) Family (mine is far away but thoughts of them always warms my heart. My other family, my fiance’s family, is enriching, nourishing, and nurtures the woman I am today.)

Okay I know I have two number two’s but I can not put one above the other. They are my life.

Now to pass on the sunshine...

1) Steven, although the award is futile being he can’t see the awesome bright orange flower. Two blogs! Drums in the Deep and Audio book Heaven

2) Adam, who is turning into a writer just like his mom. Read his, Poems have Hearts blog.

3) June, who is my mentor above and beyond. Quite an awesome lady. She never allows me to stagnate.

4) Benning, another mentor and dear friend of mine who inspires me and eggs me on!

5) To ALL of my followers who keep me presently in their lives. It is because of them, you get posts everyday. Rich content posts too! :) (see links to my friends to the left)

Thank you all and thank you Doreen!

Life is divided into three terms - that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present to live better in the future.
~William Wordsworth ~

Moody Monday

2 Sam. 22:3 The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour; thou savest me from violence.
***

Ever have one of those days where you just roll over in bed and don’t feel like waking up and facing the day? Have you ever had a Moody Monday? Well some might say that every day is a moody Monday for me, but I do digress.

I wake up in the still of the morning when the birds are all tucked away. As I sit here and await the sunrise, I drink my morning coffee and relish the quiet time I have. The birds begin stirring, chirping can be heard, then it happens, the orb in the sky peeks over the trees blanketing the farm with orange light.

Today ghostly shadows stood erect as the sun began its ascent. Fog covered the entire farm and out of the shadows came soldiers marching to war in silence. Ok, they were just barns, but when you’re only half awake, I’m telling you, they sure look like ominous men of war.

I’ve been feeling pretty good lately. No fears with driving. I made it into church yesterday with nary a tremble. It was raining and although at first I thought, “I don’t want to drive in the rain, I’m scared of the slippery roads.”  I was God slapped! He said, “Don’t you trust me?”

“Well, yes I do!” And all fears drifted off somewhere, I imagine to his shoulder so he could carry the fear for me, then off to church we went! :) There was no Pastor Mike this time and we had to settle for the youth minister because apparently, this weekend was graduation weekend. So the service was dedicated to the youth of society. Remind me to tell you about this wonderful church, someday.

My dad is feeling pretty good, and he is back to being his ol ornery self. Things should be feeling pretty good to me but something is missing. I have God in my life, a roof over my head, food to eat, a healthy son, a man whom I think loves me, what more could anyone want?

Oh, I know, passion. I’ve been writing, reading, critting, all good things right? But I feel passionless towards things. Today I woke up and just felt ‘blech’. I think I know what I need to do, June’s words are always reverberating in my head. “Prioritize,” she whispers, “Organize,” she rants, “Set goals,” she hails; a bombardment of voices I tell ya!

June might say, “That’s a good thing if I have that kind of impact.” Well June, you do dagnammit! lol So now today I need focus. If only the sun would stop looking so beautiful, the trees would just sit still and allow me to gaze at their beauty, if the birds, the glorious birds, new and old alike, would stop for a minute and let me get a picture of them at play.

If the weather, the mean, unknown weather would comply, I might just have a Marvelous Monday!